Law Articles & Essays

A win for Namatjira

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be aware that this commentary contains images or names of people who have since passed away.

Following a concerted media and legal campaign, the Namatjira Legacy Trust has succeeded in securing the ownership of the copyright of Albert Namatjira following a recent resolution of claims made by the Trust against the long-time copyright owner Legend Press.

The Copyright of Albert Namatjira

You see them driving from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs, the majestic ghost white river gums depicted so faithfully in the paintings of Albert Namatjira. You would think you were looking at a Namatjira painting. And then there is the vista of the craggy hills of the West McDonnell Ranges in their mysterious blue hue – a signature feature of Namatjira’s art.

Aboriginal Australia - A Personal Story

My journey into Aboriginal Australia started almost by complete accident.

I was completing my reading period for the Victorian Bar, having made the transition from solicitor to barrister, and had no idea how or if I was going to get any work. By chance, I heard a radio program on the ABC AM morning show about the need for new laws to protect Aboriginal artworks from unauthorised reproduction.

Managing IP Disputes

Scope of rights

A key starting point in managing IP disputes is an understanding of the scope and limitations of IP protection – having regard to the available term of a right, the ambit of any monopoly and the defences which might be available.

A brief survey of some recent IP cases shows the breadth of the range of IP disputes and the way in which Courts are dealing with contemporary rights management issues.

Dealing with barristers - A symbiotic relationship

Illustration, Nigel Buchanan

For many solicitors, dealing with barristers must be frustrating. You spend time preparing a case, which is taken from you, and possibly run in ways you had not imagined. Why would you do this to yourself?

The idea of solicitors retaining barristers to argue their clients’ cases might initially at least seem perverse. However there are a number of practical reasons for doing this.

Copyright and the Internet

The new electronic order

If developments in relation to music and the Internet are any guide, writers and publishers will increasingly be addressing the opportunities for self-management on the Internet. For writers, there is a well-established path for sharing copyright works without charge.

The Protection of "At The Waterhole" by John Bulun Bulun

Aboriginal art and the recognition of private and communal rights

John Bulun Bulun is an Aboriginal artist who lives in the area of Maningrida, an Aboriginal township about 600 kms. east of Darwin in central Arnhem land.

When I first met him in 1988, he lived in an outstation, known as Garmedi,with a population of about 20 people. Bulun Bulun was one of a group of three highly successful bark painters living at the outstation, with the other artists being Jack Wun Wun and his son Michael. These artists painted on bark, using traditional ochres (applying the ochres mixed with water using both traditional and Western brushes). They would also use glue to give a sheen to the surface of the bark on which they were painting. Their work was often very elaborate, combining complex tribal imagery with detailed cross-hatching.